Zenith Team, Old and New
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: I wrote this story in one day. The Zoom movie is kind of floppy kids stuff, at least critically, but I always wondered about the Old Team and what they were like before Connor Shepard turned evil. Enjoy!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The FC-12 flew through the skies above the Mojave Desert, heading back to Area 52. The New Zenith Team (as they were now calling themselves) was recovering from fighting with an enemy whom they now welcomed as a new member.

Connor Shepard, also known as Concussion, had been a member of the Old Zenith Team before he had turned to evil and then been exiled to another dimension. Trapped in an ageless world, he was now a 18-year-old in limbo, not quite in place with the kids who looked his age, yet not quite in place with the younger brother who was now a man.

Upon returning to base, Connor disembarked from the space saucer and headed inside without a word to anyone, as he had maintained the whole trip. The kids of the New Zenith Team – super-strong Cindy Collins, super-inflatable Tucker Williams, invisible-turning and clairsentient Dylan West and telekinetic Summer Jones – all looked at each other worriedly. With an encouraging nod from their leader, Jack Shepard (aka Zoom), the children followed Connor. They finally caught up with him in the cafeteria.

"Mr. Shepard's brother?" Cindy asked sweetly. Connor looked up. "It's OK to feel sad about what you did. We forgive you."

"Yeah, we welcome you back to the team. You're one of us now," Tucker added.

"And, since Ms. Holloway has decided to not be part of the team officially and just continue as a technician," Summer finished. "You would be another mentor to us."

Connor shrugged his shoulders. "What are you all saying, exactly?"

"We're saying… we want to get to know you, man," Dylan patiently explained. "But, in order to do that, we have to know what happened. The sooner we can bury the past, the sooner we can move on as a new team… as a family."

Connor looked unsure, but Cindy pressed him.

"What happened, Mr. Shepard's brother? Please tell us."

Connor looked to her, and for the first time the kids saw him smile.

"First of all, you can call me Connor, and I think my brother would prefer Jack. But I am the only one who can call him Jacky." The kids laughed. "Secondly, if you really want to know what happened during the times of the Old Team, I'll tell you…."


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting the Old Team

**Chapter 1: Meeting the Old Team**

It was May 1969. 11-year-old Connor Shepard anxiously bounced in his seat within the armored car as it sped through the Mojave Desert towards a secret military base. The United States government had taken him and his brother, 9-year-old Jack, in order to train them in a top-secret new program for children gifted with superpowers. To be called the Zenith Program, Connor was about to meet other super-powered kids, just like him and his brother! And together, they were going to save the world!

Connor had known he was different from an early age. He had discovered his ability to project supersonic blasts as a toddler, when he had used it to destroy the playpen gates set up along all the stairs in the house. It had taken Jack a few more years to discover his gift of super speed, when, as a mere kindergartner, he had outrun his father during a family picnic in the meadows just beyond their home.

Their parents had tried to hide the boys' unnatural talents for a few years, but with little success. The brothers' classmates shunned both Jack and Connor whenever they let their powers get the better of them. So, when the U.S. military had come knocking, the Shepards saw an opportunity for the boys to be challenged while also fitting in.

Connor wondered what the other kids would be like, or even how many there were. _It can't be many if the government wants it to be a secret_ , he thought before chancing a look at a sleeping Jack. _Besides, Jacky and I are special._

He felt the ground shudder underneath his feet as the armored car began to slow to a stop. They must be here. Connor shook Jack awake.

"Jack. Jacky, wake up!"

Jack stirred and pouted. "What did Mom tell you about calling me 'Jacky?'" the little boy whined.

"Save it. We're here!"

Moments later, Dr. Grant – the friendly scientist who had picked them up – opened Connor's door.

"Welcome, Shepard boys, to Area 52!"

Connor and Jack stepped out of the armored car into what looked like an airport hangar. Scientists in white lab coats were rushing all about, running tests and working on impressively futuristic machines. The young boys hardly had time to take it all in, as they struggled to keep up with Dr. Grant; the scientist led them through one corridor after another. At last, the little group stepped into a changing area. Dr. Grant pointed to open lockers that contained blood-red jumpsuits.

"These are your uniforms. Put them on, and then I'll take you to meet your new teammates!"

Connor got on his in record time, admiring its texture and feel. He imagined that new sizes would be ordered as he and Jack got older and stronger over the course of their training. Looking back, he saw his kid brother was struggling to even get one pant leg through.

"Hurry up, Jacky! I wanna meet our team!" He had to practically force the suit onto the little boy, before they rushed outside to meet up with Dr. Grant. He led them through a few more corridors before they arrived in a classroom.

And there they sat. Three other kids – two girls and a boy – in matching red suits. One girl looked to be about Connor's age, and the other Jack's. The boy looked somewhere in between, likely 10 or so.

"Children, may I present your last two teammates – brothers Connor and Jack Shepard!"

The other kids smiled and came forward. Connor smiled back, pleased with the numbers. _A tight-knit, special little family_ , he thought.

So began the introductions – usually a series of two questions, asking name and what power they had.

The older girl – 11 like himself – stuck out her hand.

"Taryn Pierce. I can do enhanced acrobatics."

Connor blinked. "That's not a power!" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Taryn glowered at him. "Oh yeah?"

WHAM! Before anyone could say a word, Taryn gave a roundhouse kick to Connor's chest, sending him flying across the room. The older Shepard boy skidded across the floor before struggling to his feet.

"It's _enhanced_ acrobatics," Taryn emphasized. "Still think it's not a power?"

Connor held up his hands in surrender. Though he could be pretty tough himself – he had to be, in order to protect Jack – he also knew when to back down from a fight and not make enemies. "No, no, that's cool. I believe you."

The other boy now came forward. Though he was 10 as Connor had guessed, he spoke with an authority usually attributed to someone much older. "Don't let Taryn scare you. Her bark is worse than her bite. I'm Guy Fletcher. I have precise shooting skills and clairsentience."

Before Connor could wrap his brain around that, Jack raised his hand. Connor rolled his eyes. _Oh, here we go…._ Guy nodded to the younger Shepard with a smile.

"Shooting what?"

Without a word, Guy picked up a crossbow from a nearby table and fired. Jack yelped and hit the deck, even if the arrow missed him by a mile, impaling itself into the nearby wall. Connor went to retrieve the arrow, but then blinked: its tip had landed precisely in the divider line between the two wall panels. _Man, when he says precise, he means it…_

Then he remembered. "You said you also have clairy….what?"

Taryn smirked. "For those of you who don't speak Geek like Mr. Robin Hood here, it's more commonly referred to as 'mind-sight' – Guy can feel things beyond the use of the regular senses. It's kind of like a psychic."

Connor grinned. Now they were getting somewhere. Peering around his teammates, he saw Jack staring at something behind them. Following his gaze, he saw the younger girl from before. She still had not moved from her seat, and was not looking at anybody.

"Who's that?"

Taryn glanced back, before giving the tenderest smile Connor had ever seen from her to that point. "My kid cousin, Kendra Byall. She's 9 and she can fly."

Connor looked back to Jack. The little boy was staring at Kendra as if she was an angel and was clearly blushing.

 _Oh ho, this is too perfect. Jacky's got a crush!_ Connor saved his plans of endless teasing for later, though, instead approaching Kendra and kneeling before her.

"Hi. Your cousin says you can fly. That's so cool! Would you like to share with us?"

Kendra met his eyes and nodded, before scooting off her seat to the floor. Next second, her feet were no longer touching the floor, as she ascended, ten, fifteen feet into the air. At last, she lowered herself onto a perch atop Taryn's shoulders. Connor grinned. _Awesome_.

"And I'm Connor Shepard – 11 years old with the power to project supersonic blasts!" Guy grinned, clearly impressed. Taryn merely raised an eyebrow. "And this-" Connor jokingly threw an arm around Jack – "is my kid brother, Jack Shepard. He has super speed!"

"Well, that's not surprising, cause he definitely has ADHD. Either that, or he really has to go to the bathroom – I've never seen a kid so jittery before!" Taryn sniped.

Connor scowled. Out of all his teammates, he definitely liked Taryn least – especially since she was so ready to pick on everyone in the room, except for her precious cousin. As a sort of warning shot, Connor promptly sent a sonic blast into a pillar, leaving a sizable dent in the stone structure. Taryn merely narrowed her eyes at the dent, then at him. There would be a power struggle between the two of them, no question.


	3. Chapter 2: The Training

**Chapter 2: The Training**

The day after the Shepards' arrival at Area 52, Dr. Grant took the five kids into a large round room. Connor took in his surroundings. The polished white floor of the circular space was uneven. One side was covered by windows that looked into a control room. And all the other walls had holes coming out of them.

"Welcome to your first day of training," Dr. Grant announced proudly. "Our first order of business is to build teamwork. In order to become a team – a family – you have to act like one. Learn each other's strengths and weaknesses."

Connor refrained from rolling his eyes. Oh, great. This smelled just like those team-building exercises from P.E. class back in school. Boring! Jack, like the kid that he was, appeared not to care one way or the other, preferring instead to chance looks at Kendra.

Meanwhile, Dr. Grant pointed to a yellow pedestal in the center of the room. Atop it was a red button. "Your objective is to shut off the simulator by pressing this red button."

The reference to this room as a simulator improved Connor's mood only slightly. Taryn, for her part, looked just about as enthused as he was. "How hard can that be?"

Dr. Grant grinned at her. "Just watch." He promptly exited the room, calling to his colleagues, "Set the hardness level at ten percent!" before the door hissed shut behind him.

All at once, the floor beneath the kids' feet shifted as its unevenness fluctuated even more than it already was. The room itself began to spin. Connor was thrown to the floor. In the now dimly lit room, he instinctively searched for Jacky. Finding him, the little boy was struggling to get up and seemed to be making his way towards Kendra. With a grunt, Connor felt someone land near him. It was Guy.

"How the heck are we supposed to push that button now?"

Before Connor could answer, he felt a sharp pain against his elbow. Wincing he looked back to see wood splinters there and around him. The broken remnants of a stick – and they seemed to be coming from the holes in the walls. He was proven right when he glanced away to see a stick hurtling right towards Guy's face!

"Guy, look out!" Connor instinctively let loose a sonic blast, pulverizing the stick inches before it reached his teammate. Guy nodded back to him.

"Thanks."

The boys attempted to stand, before slipping and being knocked to the floor again. "We can't reach the button with the floor spinning like this!" Connor snarled in frustration.

Guy pondered. "Maybe we don't _have_ to reach it. Connor, brace me up against the wall. I need to have good balance to get a clear shot."

Understanding, Connor did as his friend said. Guy pulled out his crossbow.

"I'm gonna try to shoot at it!"

Connor grinned. Perfect. Guy had the expert marksmanship. He could hit that thing no problem, and then they'd be out of this mess.

Guy set an arrow up, aimed and let it fly. Connor waited for some kind of buzzer sound, the lights to come up and the room to stop spinning. Nothing happened.

"Darn! I missed!" Guy cursed.

"I thought you had perfect shooting skills!" Connor yelled, almost angry.

"Not in imperfect lighting!" Guy shot back.

Connor held his tongue and quickly apologized. Just then, a body slammed into them, and both older boys went down again.

"What the? – oh, it's only you. Jacky, get out of the way!"

"I'm trying!" the younger Shepard complained. He looked almost in tears. "It's these sticks! They keep hitting me! And I can't find Kendra!"

"I'm right here, Jack!" a voice called out just to Connor's left.

Connor swore under his breath. He couldn't see where the hell Taryn was and, the little ones were being about as useful as babies.

Wait a minute…. maybe they _could_ be useful…..

A plan took hold in Connor's head within seconds.

"Jack! Listen to me! I need you to put Kendra onto your back – oh for crying out loud, just do it! She doesn't have cooties!" he snapped when he saw Jack blushing even in this dim light. "Then, I need you to run around the room at super speed. You have to outrun the room's spinning!" He then turned to Kendra. "Kendra, sweetie, hang on tight to Jack until I say so. When I say the word, Jack will launch you into the air and I need you to fly to that button and press it!"

Kendra nodded as she climbed onto Jack's back, blushing as well.

Guy looked to Connor. "What about me?"

"You shoot at any sticks that come near to protect the little ones. I'll do the same with smaller sonic blasts. And Taryn-" Remembering, he yelled, "TARYN! Where the devil are you, anyway?"

"Over here, Sonic Boy!" and Connor could see her silhouette within the flash of the strobe lights. Connor pointedly ignored the nickname and continued his instructions.

"Use your acrobatic…thingy to block any sticks that come Kendra and Jack's way. And be sure to stick close to the wall – I don't want my kid brother running over you at super speed!" _On second thought, maybe I do…_

He half-expected Taryn to shoot down this plan, so he was surprised when she simply said, "OK."

Connor turned to Jack and waited. "Everyone in position?"

Guy and Taryn chorused they were, and Connor gritted his teeth. "High ho, Silver, away…." he muttered. He signaled Jack.

"Go, Jack, go!"

Jack took off with Kendra on his back, quickly outpacing the spinning of the simulator. Connor could feel the wind whipping past his face like a tornado. Meanwhile, he concentrated on propelling little sonic blasts up into the air towards flying sticks, to the whizz of Guy's arrows and grunts of Taryn as she flip-flopped about. Finally, he yelled over the roar:

"NOW, KENDRA!"

He couldn't sense Jack launching the little girl off his back, but moments later, the sticks stopped firing, the room stopped spinning and the lights came back on.

Adjusting his eyes to the light, Connor could see Kendra floating just above the red button with the biggest grin on her face. Jack was just slowing down out of his super speed.

"Alright!" a voice – Dr. Grant's – called over the loudspeaker. "Excellent work! Now let's get you cleaned up and ready for dinner!"

The door off to one side hissed open, and the heroes-in-training walked out with triumphant smiles.

"Hey, Shepard."

Connor turned back to Taryn, and readied himself for some snarky comment. Instead, she merely nodded in approval, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. That was some great ingenuity there."

Connor blinked, taken aback, before he smiled.

"Thanks, Taryn."

He watched her stride past him and guide Kendra towards the girls locker room, before smiling. Maybe he and Taryn could be friends after all….


	4. Chapter 3: Getting Names

**Chapter 3: Getting Names**

The next few months of training went on like this. Overtime, the Zenith Team built up teamwork and friendships. And everyone – even little Jack and Kendra – found a place in the group.

One night, Connor was sleeping peacefully after a long day in the Simulator. It was getting harder and faster all the time, forcing the team to constantly come up with new strategies for hitting the button. All and all, the challenge of having to constantly adapt made this chore actually fun. On this particularly day, Taryn had managed to do her acrobatic tricks fast enough to propel her off the room's surfaces Parkour-style, getting her close enough to the pedestal until she was able to hit the red button while doing a somersault in mid-air. And just a few days before, Guy had impressed all his teammates by hitting the button with a perfect arrow shot all the way from against the wall – even in the simulator's dim lighting! (He explained he had been training in the shooting range under near-pitch blackness, actually enhancing his night-vision. What's more, he had discovered how to use his clairsentience as a kind of aiming mechanism to better perfect his shots) Even better than that, Guy's stunt had set a personal best record for time in The Simulator - just under two minutes!

Connor's thoughts and pride about his new team were interrupted when a flashlight suddenly blinded him and pulled him out of half-sleep.

"Come on, Connor, wake up! I've got something to show all of you!"

Connor had no idea what Dr. Grant could possibly have to show them in the middle of the night, and Jack and Kendra's whining as they went along through the corridors didn't help. At last, they reached an electrical panel. Taryn and Connor looked at each other, desperately wanting to say something snide at this apparently boring turn of events. The two oldest team members had patched things up and become pretty good friends every since their first day of training.

Just then, Dr. Grant reached into the electrical panel, and pulled a lever. The inside of the panel opened up.

"A secret door!" Jack squealed, before Dr. Grant put a finger up to silence them. He led the quintet inside.

"Since you guys are a team, I figured we needed to clear a few things up to make it feel official. A secret clubhouse, for one…." Indeed, behind the panel was what looked like a small rec room. There was an arcade, and a foosball table. Connor grinned. He had to admit it - he could learn to like this place.

"And…" Dr. Grant continued, "the conferring of team names."

Instantly, Jack and Kendra began to jump up and down and squeal. "We're gonna get our names!" _God, they can be such…. kids_ , Connor thought.

"I will leave that, and the decision of who will be team leaders, up to you," Dr. Grant finished.

The team discussed amongst themselves.

"OK. Guy, I think you should be called Marksman," Connor suggested.

Guy thought about it and smiled. "I like that!"

Taryn turned to her friend. "I hereby christen you, Connor, as Concussion…."

Connor grinned. "That sounds wicked cool!"

"…. because it will always remind me how much you give me a headache."

Connor scowled as Guy, Kendra and Jack rolled around laughing.

"Fine, Daravia."

Taryn's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"Daravia. It's Latin for Acrobat."

Taryn's eyes softened and she smiled. "I didn't know you were so smart, Shepard." Connor smirked back.

"OK, and now for the little ones," Guy grinned at Jack and Kendra affectionately.

"We wanna name ourselves!" Kendra piped up.

"Yeah!" Jack chorused. Then: "I think Kendra should be called Ace!"

"I said I wanted to name myself!"

"I was just thinking that it's like a flying ace pilot. Besides, I'll let you name me!"

Kendra approved of her superhero name, then thought long and hard as she stared at Jack.

"How about…. Zoom?"

Jack smiled. "Awesome."

"OK," Dr. Grant smiled. "Now team leaders."

"Connor and Taryn. They're the oldest," Guy piped up.

"I agree with Connor being the leader," Taryn concurred. "… but not me."

Everyone stared at her, even Connor.

"Why?"

"Face it, Shepard. I like you, but with as much as we butt heads, you're going to need a co-captain who's more compatible. I think Guy should do it."

"An all-male leadership team? That's not exactly fair," Guy protested.

"Well, I've already bowed out, and Kendra's too little, _Marksman_. Deal with it."

"Hey!" Kendra piped up. Everyone looked to her. "What about Jack?"

"Yes, how about Jack?" Guy concurred, actually sounding serious.

Connor was about to protest wildly. He could put up with Guy, even Taryn, as a co-captain, but his _kid brother_? No way! Then, he looked down at Jack, staring up at him with searching eyes. Looking to him for leadership. Connor thought about it. Maybe he could give Jack the role, even if he was a little young… as long as it was understood that Jack was more of a second-in-command and not a co-leader.

"All right. Jack's co-captain." Kendra cheered the verdict, while all Jack could do was look at his brother and beam.

"Hands in!" Dr. Grant ordered. One by one, the kids did so, giving their new superhero titles.

"Concussion."

"Ace."

"Marksman."

"Daravia."

"Zoom," Jack finished. "Now we're a team!"

"No," Dr. Grant qualified, before placing his own hand in. "Now we're a _family_."


	5. Chapter 4: Flaring Feelings

**Chapter 4: Flaring Feelings**

The years passed. The five heroes became like a real family, to the point where they even referred to each other by their superhero names as much as their birth ones. Once the Old Zenith Team had completed their training, they were sent out on actual missions.

As co-captain, Concussion had a certain modus operandi that he used when fighting criminals. Often, he would have Marksman scout ahead into a danger zone with his clairsentience, before sending the sharpshooter and Daravia in as an initial wave, picking off the outer defenses. Concussion himself would then finish off whatever was left with supersonic blasts, while Ace and Zoom would then rush in to make rescues, steal back precious items. The five made a great team.

The year was now 1976. Concussion and Daravia were 18, Marksman was 17 and Ace and Zoom were 16. Now that all were in the throes of puberty, relationships in the team began to be tested and evolved.

Zoom had loved Ace since they were children. The pair were good friends and often teamed up in missions together. They made a great duo hurtling through space in speed and flight. But, Zoom didn't want them to just be teammates. He wanted them to be more…. a couple.

One night, Zoom had been slow in the showers after yet another round in the Simulator; Concussion and Marksman had left for dinner long ago. The younger Shepard boy had been too consumed with thoughts of Ace – her tall neck, broad forehead, full face and lips, that brown hair in the ringlets he loved so much…. no, focus. He stepped out of the mens locker room in his bathrobe, ready to change in his room before going to join the others for dinner. Looking up, he saw Ace coming out of the lockers across the hall.

They stopped and regarded each other. Ace gave Zoom a small smile and the boy forgot how to breathe. God, she was so beautiful….

"You hungry?" Ace asked him. Zoom felt his throat go dry. She shyly looked down at her feet. "I'm hungry too," she admitted.

She looked so cute when she blushed and smiled like that, and it gave Zoom the courage to act more confident. He playfully held out his arm to her. "Shall I walk you to your quarters, my lady?"

Ace giggled and swatted playfully at him. "Zoom, stop being silly. We've slept across the hall from each other for seven years."

"I don't know," Zoom grinned. "These corridors can be mighty tricky to navigate." Laughing, the pair headed for the team's quarters. All the while, they talked about family, training, recent successful missions. When they reached the team quarters, Ace hung her crimson jumpsuit on a hangar just outside her sliding glass door.

"I wish Grant would change the color for once, never mind it's tight on me as it is. It makes me look silly!"

"I think you look beautiful," Zoom blurted out before he could stop himself. Ace stared at him, and he tried to backpedal.

"I…. I mean… in the jumpsuit. You look…. beautiful in the jumpsuit. Of course, you always look beautiful, no matter what you're wearing…"

A hand on his arm made him stop his rambling. "Thank you, Jack."

Zoom brightened. He always felt even happier when she referred to him by his birth name. Staring into her eyes, he suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline. He was almost unaware of backing her into the wall, his hands going to her hips. He heard her breath catch.

"Kendra?"

"Y…Yes?"

"…. I love you."

She stared at him, and for a moment, he thought he had blown everything for good, when suddenly her smooth hands were cupping his jawline, and she was kissing him. Really kissing him. And he was kissing her back, his hands encircling her waist and pulling her close. Ace moaned sensuously into his mouth, her arms now draping across his neck, and Zoom felt his, um…. _thing_ give a violent twitch. Elated, he felt a rush of confidence as he pressed Ace into and up the wall, lifting her off the ground. Ace broke the kiss with a giggly squeak of surprise.

"Whoah! Super speed and super strength, huh?" she teased. Zoom merely chuckled as he kissed all over her face.

"Don't tell Connor."

He attacked her neck, and she arched into him, exposing as much skin as possible even as she mewled in a way that made Zoom's heart pound.

"Zoom…."

"What?" he grinned devilishly, tightening his grip on her hips.

"I…. I can stay up in the air by myself, you know."

For a moment, Zoom thought she didn't want him, but when she pushed him away and left herself floating in mid-air, she merely took him by the hand and led him into her room, flying all the way. They were barely inside before she pushed him flat onto his back on her bed and assertively bestrewed him, her body still hovering a few inches off of his.

Zoom made quick work of her bathrobe, and she his. All the while, the two kissed heatedly. After remembering condoms, the pair made love in Ace's bed, before going another round in mid-air, Ace holding her lover in her arms. Once both climaxed again, they literally flopped down onto the bed and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 5: A Family for Real

**Chapter 5: A Family For Real**

Zoom and Ace woke up early the next morning, spending the time talking about where their new relationship would go from here.

"Thank God I remembered we should use protection," Ace commented. "Taryn would have killed you if you had gotten me pregnant."

"Yes, Taryn would have," said a voice that wasn't Jack's. A female voice.

Zoom and Ace jumped in fright, looking up to see all three of their teammates standing in the doorway. Before a mortified Ace could pull up the blankets and cover herself, there was a FLASH! Marksman grinned over the rim of his camera.

"Wow! Can you give a side pose, Zoom?"

"No, Marksman, get outta the way!" Zoom growled, tripping over himself as he leapt out of bed and quickly pulled on his boxers. Marksman was already tearing down the hall, whooping like a mad hyena, but he should have known better. Zoom caught up to him with super speed and floored his teammate in a flying tackle. The two wrestled for the device.

"Now stop it! Give me the camera!"

"Oh, I'll give it to you…. once I show it to Grant! Wait till he sees this porn!"

Zoom wrestled the camera away from Marksman and tossed it high in the air. BOOM! The device was shredded to smithereens with a well-placed sonic blast from Concussion, who now joined the two younger men with Daravia and a fully clothed Ace.

"Hey, no fair!" Marksman protested, but Concussion held up a hand to silence him. The captain of Team Zenith turned his attention to his baby brother.

"Jack Cameron Shepard, did you use protection?"

Jack's mouth fell open. "Connor!"

"We did!" Ace practically squeaked.

"You better have treated her right, kid," Daravia warned.

"Taryn!" Now it was Ace's turn to act affronted.

"Enough," Marksman growled, still stung at the destruction of his camera. "Let's go get some breakfast."

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair. No one said anything else to Ace or Zoom.

That is until…

"Hey, lovebirds! Watch out or you'll get cooties!" Marksman howled. Ace and Zoom looked up to see Concussion pull Daravia close and kiss her right on the mouth.

"Gross!" Zoom gawked, disgusted, while Ace buried her face in her hands. Daravia, meanwhile, curled her lips into a mere smirk and kissed back, deftly straddling Concussion's hips.

"When the hell did this happen?" Zoom hollered. Daravia and Concussion broke apart with grins.

"Your brother's one hell of a kisser, kid. Embarrassing to see siblings' love lives, isn't it? Just don't try catching us in bed."

"I'm not hearing this from my own cousin!" Ace screeched, covering her ears.

"You didn't answer the question, Daravia," Zoom growled.

"Zoom, get a grip! You didn't think all these years of arguing were really about hate for them, do you? There's a concept called sexual tension; perhaps you've heard of it," Marksman drawled.

"I guess he's right, Jacky," Ace told Zoom gently. Concussion abruptly stopped ogling Daravia's breasts to whip his head back to the couple.

"Really? Jacky? She gets to call you that, but I can't?"

" _She's_ my girlfriend, Connor. You're just my brother."

"Ooh, burn!" Marksman hollered at the dig. Then, he paused and looked between all of his teammates. He seemed to be trying to figure something out.

"Wait…. you two are brothers…."

Concussion raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, dude…."

"And you ladies are cousins….."

"Why, yes, Marksman, we are…" Daravia said obviously.

"And you two are dating…. and you two are dating…."

"Get to the point!" Ace snapped, losing patience.

"I'm just saying, if y'all get married, you'll be family! So, what does that make me?"

"A monkey's uncle," the four all deadpanned. Marksman cackled with glee.

"Damn straight!" Another thought struck him. "Heck, while we're at it, we might as well rename the team once y'all are married! Call it ' _ **Guy Fletcher and the Shepards**_ or something!"

Daravia smirked smugly. "That sounds like a band name, not a superhero team."

"Or how about ' _ **Marksman and the Shepards**_ '?"

Turning in Concussion's embrace, Daravia sent her younger teammate a look that clearly said, _Either drop it or risk getting an uppercut to the face_. Marksman shut up.

Just then, Dr. Grant strode into the cafeteria. Daravia quickly shifted off Concussion's lap.

"All right, everyone! In lieu of your regular training exercise this morning, I'm going to ask you all to please follow me. We're going to be doing something rather unusual."

He did not leave time for Team Zenith to ask questions; all they could do was follow him out the door.


	7. Chapter 6: Gamma-13 and Betrayal

**Chapter 6: Gamma-13 and Betrayal**

Where Dr. Grant led them was a reaction chamber with a powerful ray. One by one, Team Zenith was zapped with the Gamma-13 radiation to enhance their powers. Zoom got stronger and could run faster. Concussion's blasts became more powerful. Daravia's acrobatics were even more enhanced, as was Marksman's shooting prowess and the clarity of his psychic visions. Ace could fly faster and for longer distances.

The Gamma-13 made the team even more powerful for a while. But something was off. And it had to do with Concussion.

The team leader became more moody as the months went by. His personality shifted. Very rarely, if at all, did he show his teasing side. Instead, he became more disciplined - ordering his team to fly, run, shoot faster, harder. Daravia even confided in her cousin and Zoom that when she and her boyfriend did have sex, it was more violent somehow.

It all came to a head one day, during a training session out in the Mojave Desert….

Team Zenith was facing a generated foe, when suddenly Concussion began to convulse. Marksman fired off a round at the enemy before going to his teammate's aid.

"Concussion, man, are you all right?" Concussion glanced up at him, and Marksman was disturbed to see that his once blue eyes were now as red as their jumpsuits.

BOOM! Concussion's sonic blast hit Marksman full in the face, flinging him back hundreds of yards into the cliff faces ringing the clearing. A rockslide buried the sharpshooter.

"Guy!" Daravia rounded on her lover. "Connor, what the hell was that for?"

No answer. Just another BOOM. Daravia couldn't acrobatically dodge in time, and the blast sent her careening into the spikes of their real enemy. She was impaled. Dying, Taryn sent Concussion a pleading look. "Family, Connor. You promised." She slumped over.

Connor rounded on his last two teammates. Zoom was staring in horrific shock, but snapped out of it when he saw his brother make for his girlfriend. Ace bravely flew right at Connor.

"No, honey, fly away! Get out of here!"

Too late. Zoom could only watch helplessly as his lover was hit head-on, cutting off the aerobic air around her. Another blast slammed her into a boulder, where she hit her head. Blood oozed out.

"KENDRA!" Zoom screamed, rushing to her side. He cradled her in his arms, ignoring the panicked crackling from his comlink connecting him to Dr. Grant and his commander, General Larraby.

"Zoom? Zoom! Get out of there now!"

A low laugh made Zoom's blood run cold. He turned to see Connor striding towards him.

"You wanna join her, Jacky? All of them? Well, get ready!" The evil superhero readied his stance. Jack steeled himself.

His body moved without him telling it to, leaving the sonic blast far behind and causing it to fling Kendra's dead body back several feet instead. Connor sent blast after blast at his brother, but Jack was too fast; he dodged them all.

Then, he remembered something, all the way back from the debriefing after his first day of training in the Simulator – a warning that Dr. Grant had given him about his speed…. It was worth a shot.

Jack began running in a circle around his brother, dodging all the sonic blasts until he had created a vortex trapping Connor. The centrifugal force was so great, that soon a purple portal opened up within the whirlpool – and it began sucking Connor in.

Connor screamed. With a primal cry of "I'LL BE BACK!", the portal dragged the oldest Shepard into dimensions unknown. Moments later, Jack abruptly tripped on a rock and sprawled in a heap, ending the vortex. He felt hands on his body before everything went black.

It wasn't until he woke up in the Area 52 hospital that he realized his powers were gone.


	8. Chapter 7: The New Zenith Team

**Chapter 7: The New Zenith Team**

"All that remained was my ability to move my index finger super fast," Jack finished. "It was pretty much only good for acting as a personal blender."

Time was back in the present, in 2006. They were all in the cafeteria now – Cindy, Tucker, Dylan, Summer, Connor, Jack and Ms. Holloway. The younger Shepard had filled in details that his brother could not. Ms. Holloway was crying, Cindy was curled up in Summer's lap (Dylan soothingly stroking the little girl's hair) and Connor was not looking at anybody.

"That was a very sad story," remarked Summer.

"And right now, that's all it is – a story," Jack reminded them, looking pointedly at Dylan and Tucker; the boys seemed to want to glare at Connor. "The Connor that I know and love – that is here with us now – is not the Connor who killed his teammates. Guy, Taryn and…. Kendra died doing what they always were meant to do – being heroes. What we have to focus on now is transitioning the Old Zenith Team into the New."

Jack now turned to his brother. "Are you ready, Connor?"

Connor looked up and surveyed all the faces. "You still want me?"

"We _need_ you…. Captain," Dylan corrected.

Jack smiled in approval. "All right. Hands in," he prompted gently.

"Concussion."

"Houdini."

"Princess."

"Wonder."

"Mega Boy."

"Zoom."

"Now we're really a new team!" Princess cheered.

"No, sweetie, now we're a new _family_ ," Jack corrected. "Now who's ready to train?"


	9. Chapter 8: The New Training

**Chapter 8: The New Training**

Several months had passed since Concussion's return. He had even amazed himself with how quickly he had gotten used to being back at Area 52. Though The Simulator was not what he remembered. Instead of sticks, the walls tossed out paintballs. He didn't know what hurt more – paintballs or sticks.

The New Zenith Team had fun together, and as before, Concussion was a natural teacher. This time, he was glad to make Zoom his for-real co-captain, and not just a second-in-command. Actually, he had two co-captains now – Houdini served as an apprentice of sorts to the adults, helping to pass on their teachings to the others. Princess and Mega Boy were the new "little ones" of the tribe, and needed all the help they could get from the older men and Wonder.

That was the other thing. Sometimes, it pained Concussion to realize how much his new teammates reminded him of his old ones. Princess was like a young Ace reincarnated, and Mega-Boy… well, he was a simply a fatter version of Jack's boyish self. Sometimes, Houdini would do something that Marksman probably would have done, and Wonder's personality achingly reminded Concussion of his fallen girlfriend, Daravia.

So, it was that these thoughts came back one day as Concussion audited Ms. Holloway's tutoring classes for the day. The children still had to go to school – a one- hour session was allotted after lunchtime every day in which normal subjects were taught. Then another hour of superhero learning followed, usually something like battle strategy or the history of superhero warfare.

Concussion's thoughts were interrupted by Princess, tugging on his white jumpsuit sleeve. Of all his new teammates, she was probably his favorite.

"Concussion? Can you help me with this spelling word?"

"Sure," he smiled, pulling her paper to him. "Try sounding it out first," he instructed.

"Preppppppaaaarrrrrraaaaaattttiiiioooonnnnnn," Princess drawled slowly. She frowned. "Is that two 'Ps' after the 'E'?"

Concussion chuckled. "Close."

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see his brother smiling down at them. Zoom gave his protégé a high-five before turning to Concussion.

"Can we talk? I know you passed the first grade a long time ago, and besides, we need to discuss the new virtual reality simulation for training."

Concussion smirked before silently following Zoom out of the classroom. As they roamed the corridors, they discussed the new training and went over lesson plans for the kids. All at once, Zoom laid a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"You're doing really well, you know. Not just with the kids – everything."

Concussion smiled. "Thanks."

"You feel like a hero again?"

The 'older' Shepard nodded. "Yeah. I do." A pause and then:

"Jacky?"

"Hmmm?" Amazing that his brother didn't even notice being called that nickname anymore.

"Do you think the Old Team would forgive me? If they were here?"

Zoom sighed long and low. "Guy might tease you about it to no end. But… I think they all would. Especially Taryn."

Concussion nodded, feeling at peace with himself for the first time in a long time. And together, the brothers continued discussing the next level for training.


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The lizard-like monster's roar nearly hurt Concussion's ears, even though the New Zenith Team was a good distance away. The sonic-blasting hero put his binoculars back in his knapsack. This for-real mission was not going to be an easy one, but he knew his team was ready.

"All right. Here we go. Houdini – reconnaissance. And remember – control your focus and discipline your mind."

Houdini used his Mindsight to probe beyond the perimeters of the danger zone. In his mind's eye, he could see past the lizard, down into the sinkhole in the sidewalk, saw the water generator that was clearly hooked up to the mutation and powering its strength. He reported his findings back to his captain.

"All right," Concussion growled. "Split into two trios: Destroyers and Distracters. Princess, Mega Boy – you're coming with me into the sinkhole and we're hitting that baby with everything we've got! Houdini, Wonder, Zoom – piss that thing off as much as you can! Running in circles, tele-chucking rocks, I don't care; it'll buy the rest of us some time! Hands in!"

The team joined hands. "TEAM ZENITH!"

And together, the six members of the New Zenith Team charged into to face their new foe.


End file.
